Description

This book, originally published in 1965, discusses the political implication of the spread of science in antiquity. It reveals how the real Greek spirit of scientific research was crushed by Plato and Aristotle, long thought-of as searchers for truth. Historian such as Polybius and Livey and the poets Pinder and Virgil are seen in a new light when set against this background of social struggle.

Table of Contents

1. Introductory 2. A First Glance at Our Problem: From Anaximander to Cosmas Indicopleustes 3. A Second Glance at Our Problem: The Geometer-God 4. A Third Glance at Our Problem: From Empedocles to Prudentius 5. Pagan and Christian Superstition 6. The Two Great Achievements of Pre-Socratic Science 7. Promoetheus Bound: The Clash Between Science and the City-State 8. Plato and the Religion of the City-State 9. The Revolt From the Religion of the City-State 10. What Epicurus Did. 11. Epicurus and Plato 12. The Religion of Epicurus 13. Epicureanism Reaches Rome 14. Lucretius 15. After Lucretius

About the Author

Benjamin Farrington was an Irish scholar and professor of Classics, teaching in Ireland, South Africa , and Great Britain. Although his academic career spanned several disciplines, he is most well known for his contributions to the history of Greek science. Moreover, within the development of the discipline his books were some of the first written in the English language that focused specifically on Greek science.